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 Your cat has faithfully used her scratching
post for years and it’s starting to look
shredded and tattered. You might start to
think it’s time to surprise her by tossing
the old one in the trash and bringing home a
new one.
Wait – don’t do it! There’s more to a
worn-out scratching post than meets the eye.
Your cat scratches on her post for many
reasons, such as claw conditioning, muscle
stretching, and emotional release. But
there’s also another connection and that has
to do with marking behavior. When she
scratches her post, she leaves both a visual
and an olfactory mark. Day after day, she
takes comfort in the familiarity of those
marks. For her to walk into the room and
suddenly be faced with a total unfamiliar
post creates unnecessary stress.
If you want to get rid of that ratty old
post, first purchase a new one and place it
next to the old one. Rub the new post with a
little catnip for added enticement. If your
kitty still seems reluctant to scratch on
it, place it on its side and dangle a
fishing pole-type toy around it. Once kitty
pounces on the toy, she’ll probably realize
that this new post feels wonderful.
Once your cat is consistently using the new
post, you can phase out the old one. Don’t
be in a rush though – make sure it truly is
worn out. A well-used scratching post may
not look pretty to you, but if you’re
thinking like a cat, that tattered post
looks gorgeous.
For more information refer to the book
Think Like a
Cat.
© 2009 Cat Behavior Associates, LLC
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